After guiding a lot of road trips, I always love getting back on my mountain bike, riding and guiding quality trails. This summer I’ve had the pleasure of riding one of my favourites in the Lake District with good friends: the three passes starting from Staveley.

This was followed by an impromptu trip up to Scotland to cover the last few days of Saddle Skedaddle‘s Celtic Crossing trip. This is an epic journey in the traditional cross country mould which starts on the north coast of Scotland in Bettyhill and concludes at the Wallace monument in Stirling. The day I started we were to cross the Corrieyairack Pass.

The highlight day of this trip has to be the penultimate leg from Dalwhinnie to Killin, crossing some beautifully remote terrain.

I also found myself back in the north Lakes, guiding some great rides near Ullswater. The forecast was for heavy rain all weekend but the usual Lake District sunshine prevailed for the most part.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of working in the Lake District with some of the best guides around on Saddle Skedaddle‘s Awesome Ambleside trip.

The first day is a great loop around Coniston Water, going from the tourist honeypot of Ambleside to some of the quieter corners of the Lakes on some fantastic trails. The second day takes in more classic trails in the area.

Great trails in this quiet corner of the LakesPicnic in the usual Lakes sunshineLoughrigg Terrace descent with ambient clouds